Free Taipei Youbike rides for first 30 mins to return 2023, but at what cost?

2023 年恢復騎乘台北 Youbike前 30 分鐘免費 ，但會花費多少？

Critics say policy will pressure already limited supply


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) wants to make the first 30 minutes of every Taipei Youbike ride free again, but critics say the policy fails to recognize that the current number of public bikes can not keep up with demand.

Mayor Chiang said on Wednesday (March 29) that he has directed the Taipei City Department of Transportation to increase the number of Youbikes in the city by about 1800, in addition to canceling the fee for the first 30 minutes, per CNA. Kuomintang legislator Chan Wei-yuan (詹為元) said on Facebook on Monday (March 27) that Chiang’s intentions are good but will not solve the problems caused by a lack of public bikes in the city.

“Among the top five problems reported by the public, ‘no bikes to borrow’ ranked first,” Chan said, “however the statistics can’t reflect the reality of the situation, because most people go to the rental point, find that there are no bikes, and leave.” He said that because people often do not report the lack of bikes, the statistics are likely inaccurate.

“If the 30 minutes of the bike rental are free, it’s likely to be more difficult for people to borrow bikes during peak periods,” Chan said. “The only thing to say is that the current strategy of dispatching staff with extra bikes is too slow,” he added.

Longshan Temple and Taipei 101 MRT stations’ Youbike docks are reported to be the most difficult to secure a bike at peak times, with wait times of up to 20 minutes. “Reports of bikes being unavailable at Exit 2 of Taipei 101/World Trade Center Station in my constituency are as high as 69 times,” Chan said.

Despite the criticism, cheaper Youbike rides may prove popular among constituents, following the announcement that taxi fares in the greater Taipei area will be raised on Saturday (April 1). Local authorities said the base fare for the first 1.25 kilometers will increase from NT$70 (US$2.30) to NT$85, after which the mileage rate will remain at NT$5 per 200 meters, and waiting fees will be increased.

Bringing back free Youbike rides is not the only policy affecting public spaces that Chiang wants to resurrect, with UDN reporting in February that he and his deputy Lee Shu-chuan (李四川) intended to bring back many of the city’s rubbish bins removed under former Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).